Incubator brooder



Oct. 24, 1950 c. EDWARDS 2,526,939

INCUBATOR BROODER Filed July 18, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.

Lmentor Clark Edwards MWWZYM L Oct. 24, 1950 c. EDWARDS INCUBATORBROODER Filed July 18, 1947 3 Sheets-$heet 2 29 Fig.3.

I III Fig. 5.

lil ran [or Glanr Edwards Oct. 24, 1950 c. EDWARDS 2,526,939

INCUBATOR BROODER Filed July 18, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 7 Fig. 8. 8

11 I [ll 57 p M 15/5 60 Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE j 2,52s,9s9. 'I 'INcUBli'roR Become Clark Edwards, Albia Iowai ApplicationJuly is, 1947, Serial N 7 119411? i v 3 Claims, (cure 4 4) Thisinvention relates to improvements 'ini n cubator-b'roodersl v v Anobject of the invention is to provide an improved incubator-brooderwhich is provided with a pair of rockably mounted tray carriers adaptedto support a series of trays having metal fabric bottoms with disalignedtransverse slots formed therethrough whereb as the baby chickens hatchfrom the eggs, they will drop throughthe slots from upper trays to thelower trays and finally through the runways in the incubator to theattached brooder where food and water are provided. l

Another object of the invention is'to provide an improvedincubator-brooder having a pair of metal fabric covered tray carrier'sadaptedto' support a plurality of incubator trays for supfporting eggswhile in the incubator, said trays being formed with disalignedtransversef slots whereby as the baby chickens are'hatched' from theeggs, they will drop from trayj totray and pass through passages in the;incubator to the brooder where an electric light bulbwill'attract themto food and water within a very short time after they are hatched. I i

A further object of the invention is t provide an improvedincubator-brooder whereby rockably mounted tray carriers with trayssupported therein may be rocked to shift theposition of the eggs, andmeans for heating the incubator and for controlling the temperaturewithin the incubator from the outside thereof. 1

Another object of'the invention is to provide an improvedincubator'brooderTwhich will have means for heating the sameandmeans'for adding 'waterto a humidifier fronithe exterior of theincubator-brooder. i l I A still further objectof theflinvention toprovide an improved incubato'rgbrooder which will be highly eflicient inoperation andrelat'iyly inexpensive to manufacture and producer Otherobjects will appear asthe description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved incubator section;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the improved incubator section showingthe top panels elevated;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 4;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the rockable tray carriers;

V v. 12.1 Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the top' or bottomegg supporting trays;

"Figure 7 is'a' perspective view of one of the intermediate eggsupportin trays; Figure 8 is a" top plan view of vthe brooder shownattached'to one edge of the incubator;

Figure 9 isa transverse sectional view'through the incubator andattached brooder therefor, mt. r o f fFigure 10 is a sectional viewtaken on the line lii l0 of Figure 9. '{Lilge characters of referenceare used through-' outjthefollowing specification and the accom panyingdrawingsto designate corresponding p r M In carrying out the invention,there is provided an'jimproved formiof incubator-brooder including' anincubator cabinetgenerally denoted by the reference numeral I, ofsubstantially rectangular shape, having a bottom 2, sides 3 and 4, ends5 and 6, and top covers or closures T and 8 hinged at 9 and I9, and anintermediate cover'orclosure Iii hinged at [2, all of whichare providedwith handles l3 for raising the same Hinged check rods [4 will beprovided for sup-' porting the end covers or closures! and '8 in thedesired raised position for cleaning the incumom a f' r transferringincubator for broodingchicks after hatch is completed. A pair of. traycarriers generally designated by thereference numerals I5 and i6 will beformed of slotted construction, being covered'on their four sides andone end with metal fabric cloth l'l, being open on one end only.

Oppositely disposed pairs of L shape side rails l8, ISandZO are securedin each tray carrier'l5 and i6, and are adapted to removably supportupper and lower trjays'Z! and 22 having transversely extendin slots 23formed through their metal fabric bottoms, while an intermediate tray 2lghaving 'a metal fabric bottom is provided with a disali'g'nedtransverse '0pening'25, whereby as the baby chickens (not shown) arehatched; they may drop from upper tray to lower tray through saiddisaligned slots into the nursery directly below the tray carriers,being attracted towards the slots by a light bulb 26 disposed at the endof said trays in which the slots are provided. The front ends of thecarriers l5 and I6 are also covered with metal fabric to prevent thechicks from falling from the carriers except through said slots 23 and25.

The tray carriers l5 and [6 are formed with stub shafts '2'! and 28 attheir opposite ends, being supported in the arcuate bearings 29 on theopposite side walls 3 and 4 of the incubator l.

2,526,939 iii-91F."

carriers and the trays with eggs (not shown) sup- 5 ported thereon forturning the eggs from time to time.

A pair of spaced transversely extending parti- '10 tions 34 and aredisposed between the tray carriers l5 and I6 centrally of the incubatorcabinet I, and have their opposite ends open to provide;

ventilation.

Heating elements 36, 31 and 38 are disposedin portion of the cabinet Ibetween the ventilated,

partitions 34 and 35 so that the direct air from the fan will not blowon the eggs in the incubator trays 2|, 22 and 24. l

A humidifier is provided centrally of theincubator cabinet I whichconsists of a. pan vat, may be filled when necessary with water throughthe funnel 4| from the outside of the cabinet" I.

Front doors 42 and 43 will be hingedat 44v and 45. for working about,shifting the trays, and for changing the incubator.

Moisture and. temperature indicating devices 46 and 41 are supportedupon the door 43 and are connected with the interior of the cabinet, 1for obtaining the readings within the said, cabinet I.

A lower door 48 is hinged at. 49- at the bottom of the front side 4 ofthe cabinet I, and mayv be. supported in raised position forpermittingthe baby chickens after being hatched to passthere through tothe brooder 50 attached. to the incubator cabinet I. A curtain 5| willbe suspended in the opening when the door. 48 is opento. preventtemperature changes in the incubator cabinet I.

A metal fabric bottom 52 will be supported slightly above the bottom ofthe brooder 5.0.,v and a removable dropping pan 53- will be disposedbelow the metal fabric floor 52, being. provided with the handle 54.

Feed and water troughs 55 having covers 56 will be positioned about theouter side and,op osite ends of the brooder 50.

Top covers or closures 51 and 58 hinged at 59 and 60 will be providedfor the brooder 50,.and an electric socket GI and electric light bulb 62will be disposed above the side trough 55 to at tract the baby chickensinto the breeder 50, from the incubator cabinet 1. Thus, the babychicken will be able to have food and water within a short time afterbeing hatched. V A control switch 63 and glass window 64 will beprovided in the front of the incubator cabinet I for controlling thefan, lights and heating elements, and for seeing within said incubatorcabinet I. I

Gas outlets 65 will be formed through the doors I and 8 to permit thegases from the incubator I to be released to the atmosphere.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that there has beendevised and provided a highly efficient form of combined incubator andbrooder.

While the preferred embodiment of the instant invention 3 has been;illustrated and described; it will be understood that it is not intendedto limit the scope of the invention there- -to, as many minor changes indetail of construc .tion maybe resorted to without departure from thespirit of the invention.

Having described the claimed as new is;

1. In an incubator including a substantially rectangular housing havingbottom and top walls, side walls and end walls, eggs and chicksupporting means comprising spaced substantially rectangular elongatedcarriers open at-the top and bottom, interconnected vertically spacedlomgitudinal and transverse slats forming the sides and end walls of saidcarriers, a foraminous member carried by said slats, chick and eggsupporting trays having foraminous bottoms, means for removablyretaining said trays'in said can riers in vertical spacedrelationship'to each other, said foramin'ous bottoms being provided withvertically disaligned slots, means for pivotally suspending saidcarriers in said housing, and means operatively connected to saidcarriers for rocking said carriers.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein, said tray retaining meansincludes transversely extending bars carried by said spaced transverseslats.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said pivotal means includes stubshafts extending from the opposed end walls of each of said carriers andbearings carried by the side walls of said housing for journaling saidstub shafts.

' I CLARK EDWARDS.

invention, what is REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofrecord in the file of this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Brace May 28, 1935

